Nevada Center for Civic Engagement

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National Day of Service & Remembrance (9/11)

Christine Hull

On this 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the Nation (and the world) remembers. We remember a nation in shock, we remember the people who ran towards the crash sites, we remember the brave souls on those planes who fought the terrorists, we remember that as a nation we came together. We as a nation showed our strength and compassion. We also as a nation volunteered in our communities, we served our neighbors, we engaged civically.

This is the foundation of our country, a country made up of brave communities who serve each other, who give back, who engage. That is who we are as Americans and today as you remember all the souls who were lost too soon during the 9/11 attacks remember them through service. The White House issued a proclamation for today and encouraged all of us to seek out service opportunities, we at the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement fully support this challenge. We hope that you will find a way to give back to your community, engage in your community, and honor all those that lost their lives on 9/11 and in the 20 years of war since that day.

Here are some amazing resources curated by the Nevada Department of Education to teach about September 11th and the events since that day. Use these resources in classrooms, for your own children, and even for yourself as you remember where you were when the world stopped turning for a few moments while we all watched the unthinkable happen.

9/11 – Patriot Day

On September 11, 2001, the United States was struck by a deadly terrorist attack which shook our core. Most students will be too young to remember the day of the attack, but its effects profoundly changed American society. Teachers could use resources from the 9-11 Museum to explain the attacks and their effects on the US to their students.

 

Patriot Day & National Day of Service and Remembrance. September 11: Patriot Day was designated by joint resolution of the U.S. Congress (PL 107-89) on Dec. 18, 2001, to honor those who perished in the events of September 11, 2001. By Public Law (111-13), adopted April 21, 2009, Congress has requested September 11 also be recognized as a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

 

General resources about the September 11, 2001 attacks

 

 

The educational exhibition recounts the events of September 11, 2001, through the personal stories of those who witnessed and survived the attacks. Told across 14 posters, this exhibition includes archival photographs and images of artifacts from the Museum’s permanent collection. As you prepare your exhibition, here are some Library of Congress resources to supplement the poster display:

 

Education resources specific to the 20th anniversary of the attacks:

·   The 9/11 Memorial and Museum offers "20 Years Later", a retrospective of the attacks. 

o This year's Anniversary in the Schools webinar will take place online on Friday, September 10, 2021.  The program will be on demand, and the live chat is available from 9am to 3pm EDT on September 10 and 11, 2021.  The program is free, but you do need to register.  Student questions can be posed in the live chat and will be answered by 9/11 Memorial Education staff (note they cannot guarantee that all questions will be answered due to the potential volume of participants).  The 9/11 Memorial and Museum Anniversary in the Schools also has pre- and post-viewing guides for grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.  

o The official commemoration will take place on September 11, 2021, starting at 8:30am EDT (7:30 am CDT).  They will read the names of every victim of the attacks, and have six moments of silence to acknowledge when each of the World Trade Center towers was struck and fell, and the times corresponding to the attack on the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93.   

·   PBS NewsHour Extra presents "The 9/11 Anniversary in the Classroom", which includes a one-page background text for middle and high school students along with curated resources including articles, videos, lesson plans, slideshows, and timelines.  

·   The National Geographic Channel will be hosting a seven-hour documentary series through first-person narratives (note, this is not free, you do need access to Nat Geo Channel through your cable provider).  

·   "Generation 9/11" outlines stories of children whose parents died in the terrorist attacks (PBS). 

·   The FBI has a webpage devoted to how the 9/11 attacks shaped today's FBI.  

·   PBS Frontline presents "America After 9/11", airing September 7, 2021.  

·   The History Channel will present four shows on September 10 and 11, 2021 - "9/11: The Legacy", "Rise and Fall: The World Trade Center", "9/11: Four Flights", and "9/11: I Was There".  Note that this is not free, you do need access to The History Channel through your cable provider.  

·   AmeriCorps has a really interesting page about 9/11 Day, which encourages a day of service in memory of the attacks of September 11, 2001.  More information can be found at 9/11day.org.

·   The National Park Service is offering virtual learning sessions for teachers through the Flight 93 National Memorial

o Virtual Learning Session for High School Teachers is Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at 7pm EDT (6pm CDT)

o Virtual Learning Session for Middle School Teachers is Wednesday, September 8, 2021 at 7pm EDT (6pm CDT)